Floor-polishing attachment for vacuum cleaners



May 14, 1929. H. T. LANG 1,713 18 FLOOR POLISHING ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Fild Jan. 10, 1927 Inventon: Henry T. La n g,

/ WWW Hus Atto ney.

Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY T. LANG, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR T ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER COMPANY, INC., OF CLEVELAND,'OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLOOR-POLISHING ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANERS.

Application filed January 10, 1927. Serial It has been the practice for many years for manufacturers of vacuum cleaners to supply with their products some form of attachment for cleaning and polishing floors, usually in the form of a shoe which was detachably secured to the underside or mouth of the nozzle; In some instances the polishingdevice moved only as the cleaner itself 4 was moved, while in others it was moved or actuated by the cleaner motor also and hence had two movements. The success or failure of these devices when used in the home is dependent upon how well they will polish and how readily they may be applied to and removed from the cleaner. If they cannot beeasily and quickly applied to and removed from the cleaner the average person will not use them, no matter how well they polish. My. invention has for its object to provide a floor-polishing device of improved construction for vacuum cleaners, which takes the form of an attachment for such cleaners and one which can be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the underside of a cleaner nozzle and which will effectively polish hardwood floors. For a consideration of'what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

s In the accompanying drawinglwhich isillustrative of my invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofa vacuum cleaner titted with my improved fioor-polishin brush; Fig.1? is a perspective view of the brush-supporting frame; Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section of the clea1'1er, n0zzle'and brush; Fig. 4 is a sectional view-of one of the brush bearings and ratchet; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the ratchet means for preventing backward rotation of the brush; Fig. 6 is-a deitail view of the brush-driving means; Fig. 7 is a modified form of ratchet or clutch means, and Fig. 8 is a detail, sectional View through the end of the brush-frame.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention in connection with a well-known type of vacuum cleaner now on the market in which 10 indicates the electricmotor for driving the suction fan 10' which is contained inthe casing -11, and 12 the nozzle. The cleaner is supported b a single wheel or castor' 13, at the rear an by a pair of floorwheels 14. at the/front. The wheels 14 are mounted on pivots carried by the U-shaped frame or two pivots 16 at the front end. The wheels are adjusted up and down to change the clearance between the lips of the nozzle and the surface to be cleaned by the adjusting screw 17, which is threaded into a boss formed on the rear of the nozzle. The lower end of the screw'has a reduced portion 18 which enters a slot in a lip 19 carried by the member 15. Turning the screw raises or lowers the wheels, dependin upon the direction of movement. The c eaner' is moved over the floor by a handle of which the bail portion is shown. The dust-ladened air from the nozzle passes through the fan and is discharged through the outlet 20, the latter normally being connected to a dust bag as is usual in such cases.

21 indicates a frame for the polishing brush 22 which latter may be of any approved construction having bristles which are stiff enough to support the front end of the cleaner. The frame which is rectan n lar has .front, rear and end members. he end members carry, ball bearings vfor the brush, one of which is shown in section in Fig. (i. Extending across the frame are two fiat straps 23 which firmly engage the underside of the front and rear lips 24 of the nozzle, as best shown in 3. On the straps are vertically-extending lugs 25 which engage the end lips of the nozzle and thus prevent the frame from moving endwis with respect thereto. The lugs are relatively long and being in frictionalengagefment with the inner edges of the ends of the nozzle assist in preventing movements of the brush frame cross-wise of the nozzle. .To fasten the frame to the nozzle, two pivotally-attached stirrups 26are provided, one at each end. The stirrups are of such size as to partially embrace the floor wheels 14: as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In applying the polishing brush the floor wheels are first lowered by turning the screw 17 to permit the stirrups-to he slipped over them, after which the screw is turned in the opposite direction until the straps 26 firmly contact with the lips of the nozzle and the stirrups are, seated on the upper portions of the wheels. the screw 17 are capable 0f exerting 9. ve

substantial leverage and in a simple manner The Wheel-carrying leyer 15 and,

i there is no need Under these conditions,

In order to rotate the brush it is provided with a pulley 27 which is driven by a quarter turn be t 28 made of rubber from the pulley 29, the latter being on the front end of the armature shaft 30 of the motor 10. When the cleaner is originally provided with a rotary brush which is located within the nozzle itself and is ,driven by a quarter turn rubber belt by the motor shaft, I utilize the same pulley and belt for driving the polishing brush, first removing the dirt-agitating brush from within the nozzle. If the cleaner nozzle has no'such brush, provision is made for driving the polishing brush by prolongin the armature shaft and mounting a pulley t ereon; the structure will then be the same as that shown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 6.

W'hen the floor-polishing brush is in use for the suction fan and to substantially decrease the load on the motor at such times I close the passage through the fan easing. This is a wellunderstood feature of construction in centrifugal compressors. As the simpler construction is to close the outlet, a cap 31 is provided which is fastened over the outlet 20, the dust bag having been first removed. theloss of power due to the fan is represented by the windage or eddy current losses of the fan.

In a construction of this character involving as it does a rubber belt, usually one having a quarter turn, it is important to prevent the reverse rotation of the brush which movement is practically certain to throw the belt off of one or both of the pulleys. To prevent this, a suitable ratchet is provided which permits the brush to revolve freely in one direction but not in the other, for examwhen the cleaner and polisher are forward and backward strokes b the user. Asuitable ratchet is shown in igsw ,4 and 5 and comprises a cylindrical center member 32, one or more wedge shaped cam surfaces 33 and an equal number of hard steel balls 34. A mounting for the parts is shown in Fig. 4 wherein 35 is a thin, metal P19. given container at one end of which the cam surfaces 33 are formed. Seated on a shoulder within the sleeve is a ball bearing comprisball race, the balls running in a groove in the stub shaft 36 on which the cylindrical portion 32 is also formed. The stub shaft is clamped in place on the downwardly-extending ear 37 of the brush frame by "the nut 38. Grease or other lubricant for the bearing is retained by a felt washer and its suppo1*ting)cag...The opposite end of the polishing rus does not require a ratchet but it is provided with a ball bearpatent statute, I have descri ing of the construction shown in Fig. 4. For convenience in mounting, the outer or exposed end of the stub shaft of this second bearing is provided with two fiat sides to prevent it fromturning and the shaft end is located in a ownwardly-opening slot 39 as shown in Fig. 2. If desired, the stub shaft which cooperates with the clutch may have other means to prevent it from turning in the frame instead of utilizing the nut 38. One end of the brush, however, is preferably held by a nut. When not in use the tension of the belt 28 sufficient to hold this end of the brush in place, and when the polisher is in use the weight of the parts is sufiicient.

In Fig. 7 is shown modified form of ratchet or clutch for the brush It differs- .by metal rivets 47, the heads of the rivets being embedded in the rubber. The purpose of these rubber bumpers is to prevent marring the wainscoting a's the side of the polisher is run along it.

In operating the polisher, the circuit of the motor is first closed which causes brush to revolve, after which the polisher is moved back and forth. over the floor by means of the handle. I may support the apparatus by the brush at the front end and the floor wheel 13 at the rear, or I may clamp the handle bail b the wing nut 43 on the segment 44 in such position that the apparatus is brush only, the hand of, the o erator sus taining the balance of the weight at the rear. In the latter case, the effective downward pressure on the brush is somewhat greater than in the former case.

When it is desired to use the vacuum cleaner as such the polishing brush is removed by reversing the above-statedoperations. If the cleaner is of the type having a revolving dirt-agitating brush the brush is mounted in place and belted to the armature shaft. To facilitate mounting the belt in place on the motor shaft pulle both when used as a cleaner and as a olis er, the front end of the nozzle is provi ed with an the supported on the floor by the v opening of suitable size and a removable cover plate 45.

In accordance with the pzovision of the d the principle beltdriven by the motor a motor,

tating polishing brush, a supporting frame therefor,

motor, and floor-engaging wheels, said .attachment comprising a polishing brush, a supporting frame therefor, memberscarried by the frame which enga e the wheels to hold the frame against t e nozzle, and a brush.

2. A, floor polishing attachment for use witha vacuum cleaner having a nozzle and said attachment comprising a romeans forclamping the frame to the underside of the nozzle, a belt driven by the motor for rotating the brush, and means for preventing the reverse rotation of the brush as th'e'cleaner is moved backward by the operator.

3. A floor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a motor and floor wheels which normally support the nozzle, said attachment comprising a rotary brush which rests. on the surface to be polished and supports the front end of the cleaner, a frame in which the brush is mounted, stirrulps which are carried bythe frame and part y encircle the floor wheels and hold the frame against the nozzle walls,

and abeltdrivenby the motor for rotating the brush. r

' 4 A-'floor polishing attachment for use with ayvacuum cleaner havin 'a nozzle, a motor, floor wheels, a pivoted member on which the wheels are supported, and means for moving the frame to' adjust the wheels, said attachment comprising a rotary lishing brush, a supporting frame there or, de-

vices carried b the ame which engage the wheels to 0 amp the frame a ainst the under surface of the nozzle, and a elt which transmits motion from the motor to thebrush. t a

5. A floor polishing attachment for use with; a vacuum cleaner havin a nozzle, a motor and floor wheels, said attachment comprising a rotary brush which rests on the surface to. be polished a frame for supporting the brush which as members that are arranged .to be of the nozzle, means which engage the floor wheels and cause the members to be firmly with the cor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a

for rotating the a with a .suction device and a motor,

means for detachablyseated on the underside clamped against the nozzle, and means for rotatingth'e brush.

SJ-A floor a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a motor and floor wheels, said attachment comprising a rotary brush which rests on the polishing attachment for use surface to be polished, a rectangular frame for supporting the brush, cross members on the frame which are arranged to be seated on the underside of the nozzle, means also carried \by the frame which engage the ends of the nozzle to prevent endwise movement of the frame, 'stirrups which the floor wheels to hold the rame against the nozzle, and a belt for driving the brush from the motor shaft.

7'. A floor polishing attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, floorsup ortin wheels and an'adjustable, pivote mem er' which carries the wheels, said artlyv enclose attachment comprising a polishing brush, a

rame t ere supporting 'f or, stirru s which are carried by the frame and are adapted to partly encircle the wheels and hold' the frame in position when the floor wheels are adjusted to engage the and pivoted stirru s., i

floor polishing attachment for use a nozzle, a

vacuum cleaner having said attachment com'prisin' a frame, securing e frame to the cleaner, a rotary polishing brush mounted in bearings on the frame, a driving connection between the motor and brush, means for reventing back ward' rotation of-the brush ments of the cleaner, and means for'reducing the power consumed by the suction de- 100 oor polishing attachment for a Vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a member pivoted on the nozzle and 'means for adusting said member vertically, said attach vice when the polishing-brush. is in use.

9. A fl ment comprising a rotary pohsher, bearin for the pelisher, supporting means for t e bearings which are moved by the member toclamp the polisher to the nozzle, and means for rotat" the polisher.

10. A floor pofishing attachment. for a vacuum cleaner havin a nozzle, a-member pivoted on the noz e and an adjusting due to movescrew for the member, said attachment comprising a rotary polisher, polisher, supporting means for the bearin which are moved tating the polisherk In witness whereof, I havehereunto set HENRY "r. LANG.

my hand:

bearings for the i y the member and" a dusting screwto clamp the pohsher to the underside of the nozzle, and means for ro-1 

